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| Bring Back Fran Recht! 12/12/2007 Here’s an editorial opinion you thought you’d never see in the Beacon:
That’s right. It’s time to bring back Fran, the one-woman environmental hurricane that created so much havoc for Depoe Bay developers, homeowners and city councils. Fran was like a 100-year storm that never died out, whipping building applicants, planners and politicians with her gale-force tongue. Perhaps it was her style that many voters couldn’t bear, leading to the wholesale sacking of her supporters on the City Council and her subsequent removal from the once-powerful Depoe Bay Planning Commission. Bring back Fran Recht. But there’s no doubting her knowledge of marine and environmental issues, which qualifies her for immediate appointment to an official city committee known as the “Near Shore Action Team. What started out as a committee to research and advocate for Depoe Bay’s future on the fast-changing stage of ocean uses has, through death and attrition of key members, become a mouthpiece for the Depoe Bay charter-boat industry. Hmmm, we thought that was the Harbor Commission’s job. At any rate, obligations by the committee to consider the interests of ocean users other than fishermen appear scuttled (see story, this issue) in its desire to protect the fishing business from further restrictions. While it’s intuitive to say that fishing and the handful of business spin-offs it creates are vital to Depoe Bay’s economy, the City would be hard-pressed to make such a case — nor should it. Deep-sea fishing, always a feast-or-famine game, has been on the decline for 30 years and faces growing regulations. More likely, the future of Depoe Bay’s harbor will be linked to adventure tours, education, research and servicing the vast array of wave-energy buoys that will inevitably cover the horizon. By focusing on fishing to the exclusion of other rapidly-developing opportunities, we fear NSAT has dropped the ball as time draws near for state and federal officials to undertake new rulemakings. After all, there’s more here at stake here than fishing boats. If Depoe Bay fails to exploit new and vital uses for its harbor, it chances losing millions in state and federal subsidies for repairs, Coast Guard support, Corps dredging, etc. The Near Shore Action Team’s only hope at this point is Fran Recht, the uber-activist. Recht is such a heavyweight player that she alone would balance the lopsided industry interests on NSAT who dismiss environmentalists as “flunkies.” Fran, no flunky, could be counted on to shake up the committee’s conventional thinking and put it back on track in no time at all. Bring back Fran Recht? Perhaps it’s time. Author Name Depoe Bay Beacon - news@depoebaybeacon.com |
